Qantas has announced that from October 1 it is making changes to dietary required meals to comply with the Quality and Safety Alliance of In-flight Services (QSAI) guidelines.
A new Lactose Intolerant (NLML) meal will be introduced.
However, from the beginning of October, the Australian flag carrier’s Diabetic (DBML) meal option will no longer be nut-free.
Nor will its religious meals be nut-free from October 1. This applies to the Non-Vegetarian Hindu (HNML), Kosher (KSML) and Muslim (MOML) meal options.
Among Qantas’s vegetarian meal options, the Jain Vegetarian (VJML) meal will no longer be nut-free from the beginning of October.
Additionally, the airline’s Gluten Intolerant (GFML) meal will no longer be dairy-free from the start of October.
“This means the special meals that are nut-free will be gluten-free, fruit platter or child meal,” points out travel nutrition expert Melissa Adamski.
On a thread in response to a LinkedIn post by Adamski, Julianne Ponan MBE, CEO of Creative Nature, comments: “This is just going to make it less inclusive for passengers on board. Would it be that difficult to remove peanuts and tree nuts from the menu with so many great substitutes out there?”
Caroline Benjamin, CEO of Food Allergy Aware, labels the changes as a “backward step”.
Catering consultant Stella Holt comments: “It would be so much easier for them and their customers if they made all in-flight meals nut-free as standard.”
Qantas recommends that passengers request dietary required meals 24 hours before scheduled departures or 36 hours in advance for kosher meals.
